Haven
by KyleGranger
Summary: Chapter 13 up! Post-Shelter. Takes place exactly where the movie left off. We follow Shaun, Zach, and Cody as they start their new lives together as a family. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**Haven**

_KyleGranger_

Chapter 1

As Jeanie drove down the drive, away from them, it hit Zach that he was on his own now. But then he felt an arm wrap around his shoulder and pull him close. He now felt happy and hopeful.

"You ready?" Shaun asked. Zach smiled at him, glanced down at Cody, and then turned his attention back to the setting sun and the empty driveway.

Shaun patted Cody's back and the two of them headed inside the small house with Zach slowly trailing behind with his hands in his pockets. Cody ran into his room out of sight. Zach walked through the doorway into the small kitchen, staring at the ground. Shaun felt terrible. He walked over to him and put his arms tight around him.

"It's okay," Shaun said softly. Zach sniffled which only made Shaun squeeze tighter and repeat himself. "Come on," Shaun said as he pulled out the hug, grabbed Zach hand and led him to Zach's room. They each sat on his bed. After a moment, Zach spoke:

"So what's the plan now?" he asked. Shaun shrugged.

"Did you want to come out to LA with me?" Shaun asked. "If you don't want to it's fine, I just want you to be honest. I want whatever you want Zach."

There was a long pause. Zach felt like too much was on his shoulders.

"I can't afford to raise Cody and keep this house," Zach said. He started to tear up and cupped one hand over his face to conceal it.

"Zach, Zach, Zach... It's okay," Shaun said softly pulling Zach toward him. "How about you and Cody come stay with me at my parents tonight. Then we'll figure out what to do with the house. You can just do this all in ten minutes. You need time. So go pack up some stuff for the night then we'll head to my place."

After a few seconds to think it over, Zach agreed then went to pack some stuff for him and Cody. Meanwhile, Shaun took a tour around the house. All his life, Shaun has known nothing like this. He's had the big houses, nice cars, and countless vacations. Zach on the other hand to struggle once his mom died. In the living room, on top of the television, there was a family photo. In it was Zach, Jeanie, and both of their parents. Zach had to be at least 15 and this was long before Cody.

Zach and Cody emerged from the hallway behind Shaun.

"Hey," Zach said.

"Hey," Shaun replied. He looked to Cody: "Hey buddy, ready to go?" Cody beamed up at Shaun. The three of them headed for the car and made their way to Shaun's parents house.

When they arrived, Cody went running inside while Zach and Shaun unpacked the car.

"Thanks for doing this," Zach said to Shaun before turning towards the house.

"Zach, I hope you realize how much I care about you," Shaun admitted, "I will always take care of you no matter what." Zach grinned and continued inside.

"Can I go in the pool?" Cody yelled. He was running towards Zach as he was walking through the front door.

"Ask Shaun buddy," he said absentmindedly. The boy went running outside and Zach continued moving into the house. He took his bags upstairs and dropped them in Shaun's room. He sat down on the side of the bed and glanced out the large window. Cody just jumped into the pool and Shaun just stepped to the poolside, sat down, and dipped his feet in the water.

This is the best situation. He knew deep down that Shaun would never desert him and Cody. He really did care. 'I do love him,' Zach thought. He glanced at his phone; it read 4:54. He went back downstairs and out to the patio. He took of his socks and rolled up his jeans, sat down next to Shaun, and dipped his feet into the water. He looked at Shaun and half smiled. Cody was swimming towards the deeper end.

"Cody, stay out of the deep end please," Zach said.

"Okay," Cody said and he maneuvered towards the edge of the pool on the opposite side from them.

Shaun put his hand on Zach's knee and kissed his shoulder.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked. Zach simply shrugged. "I'll just make some pasta. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Zach said. "Cody, you want pasta for dinner?"

"Okay," Cody gurgled. Half of his face was underwater as he doggy paddled over towards them.

Shaun got up and walked inside to start dinner. Cody made it over by Zach and grabbed the edge of the pool with one hand and Zach's ankle with the other.

"Zach?" Cody said.

"What kiddo?"

"Are we going to live with Shaun now?" he asked so innocently.

"Yeah. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah," Cody said.

"A lot of things are going to be changing now. We're going to be moving somewhere else. Shaun has a house about 30 minutes away. We're going to be going there soon and we'll be living there. Okay?" Zach explained.

"Okay. I like Shaun," he said.

"Good."

Zach looked over to the window to the kitchen and saw Shaun cooking dinner.

"Uncle Zach?" Cody diverted Zach's attention to him.

"Yeah buddy?"

"Are you and Shaun in love?" he asked carelessly.

"Er..." Zach was caught off guard. He looked over to the door to the house hoping that Shaun was going to come out or call him into the house. "Um... well Cody, I'm going to be honest with you. Yes, Shaun and I are in love."

"But you're both boys," he said.

Zach was biting his nails now and he didn't even know he started. He glanced towards the door again, and then to the window. Shaun was still cooking in the kitchen. He quickly looked down at Cody who seems to be having the conversation subconsciously because he was playing with a leaf that fell into the pool.

"Sometimes that happens, Cody," Zach said finally. "We care about each other a lot. And we both care about you more than anything. But it's going to be our little secret, okay? It doesn't leave the three of us."

"Okay," he said. Two leaves in the pool now had his full attention.

Shaun pushed the window open and announced that dinner would be ready in two minutes. Zach helped Cody out of the pool and put dry clothes on him. They walked inside and Cody sat down at the rectangular table next to the island opposite the kitchen.

Zach walked into the kitchen and began pouring milk for the three of them.

"You just dodged _the_ bullet," Zach mentioned softly. Shaun looked at him questioningly. "He asked...," he glanced over at Cody who was waiting patiently for dinner. Zach moved closer to Shaun: "he asked if we were in love."

Shaun's eyes widened. He mouthed the word: _really_? Zach nodded and moved to the table. After they had dinner and did the dishes, Zach was getting Cody settled into Gabe's room. Cody came back from brushing he teeth and changing into his pajamas.

"Codes, you gonna be okay?" Zach asked. Cody climbed into the bed and Zach pulled the covers over him.

"I guess," Cody said frowning.

"Hey," Zach said smiling, "it'll be okay. Shaun and I are going to be just down the hall."

Shaun walked through the door. Zach kissed Cody's temple then stood up.

"You want me to turn the TV on?" Shaun asked Cody moving towards the bed. Cody nodded and Shaun turned on the TV on the dresser next to the door. He set the sleep timer for an hour. Shaun dropped down to his bedside:

"We're just going to be right down the hall, okay?" he said.

"Yeah," Cody said softly, "I know."

"Okay, goodnight buddy," Shaun said, tousling his hair. He walked out of the room with Zach trailing behind.

"Goodnight," Zach said switching off the light and closing the door.

In Shaun's room, Zach told Shaun about the conversation Cody and Zach had in the pool as they changed and got ready for bed. Zach got in bed and watched his boyfriend finish getting ready.

"Well I think you handled it the best you could," Shaun said climbing into bed and turning off the light. The moonlight now softly lit the room.

Zach fell silent for a few minutes. Shaun began to stroke his cheek gently.

"Zach, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," he said softly, "just a long day."

"I understand," Shaun said. "But I want you to know how happy I am that we can be together now. A little family."

"Me too," Zach said. They fell quiet once again. Zach starred at the silhouette that was Shaun and listened to the waves crashing outside the window above their heads.

"Shaun?" Zach whispered.

"Yeah?" Shaun replied.

"I love you."

"I love you too," Shaun said stroking his cheek once more before leaning in to kiss his boyfriend. He was interrupted by a knock at the door. The door opened and a small figure walked into the moonlit room.

"I can't sleep in there," Cody said. The two men in bed smiled.

"Come here," Zach said.

Cody took a running start and jumped into the bed. He wiggled his way between them.

"Sorry," Cody said feeling ashamed.

"Don't worry about it," Shaun said. "Goodnight little man."

"Goodnight," he said.

"Goodnight," Zach said. After lying there for a few minutes with his nephew and boyfriend sleeping beside him, a small smiled grew on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Haven**

_KyleGranger_

Chapter 2

Within the week, Shaun and Zach found themselves at Zach's house packing up Zach's stuff. They put the house up for sale and decided to move out right away. It was obvious that all this change was hard for Cody. While they were staying at Shaun's parents' house, Cody couldn't sleep on his own at all. Each night, his imagination seemed to scare himself into needing company. He crept down the hall every night and quietly slipped into Shaun's room and climbed into bed.

Zach was having a hard time with the change as well. He loved that he could finally be with Shaun and not have to worry about what his sister thought (although he had yet to tell his father, but he wasn't worried about that at the moment). But everything that was going on at that point was creating weight on his shoulders. He was selling his house, he just inherited his nephew, his sister left the family, he was starting art school soon, and he'll be moving to Shaun's place in a couple days.

Thankfully, Shaun could see all of this. He really was trying to do all that he could to make it easy for Zach. Shaun called the realtor and rented a truck and storage space to move and store all of the furniture and stuff in the house.

Zach and Cody were in the house packing up what they wanted in boxes and leaving them by the back door so Shaun could put them into his car.

"Okay, see you in a couple minutes," Shaun said and collapsed his phone. Zach was putting down a box at the time and ask who he was talking to. "Gabe," he said, "he's almost here."

Shaun's brother was being dropped off by a friend so he could drive the rental truck up to Los Angeles where Shaun rented the storage space. Zach nodded and half smiled before walking back into the house.

"Cody, you almost finished?" Zach called. He walked into Cody's bare room. Only two boxes sat at the foot of the bed.

"Yeah," he said and pointed at the boxes. Zach picked them up and dropped them in the hallway outside his room where he went to grab more.

"Hey."

Shaun turned around and saw his younger brother.

"Hey," Shaun replied, pulling Gabe into a hug.

"How's everything going here?" Gabe asked pulling away. Shaun glanced towards the house before he replied.

"Okay, I guess. Cody super bummed, and Zach seems to be so stressed out."

"Yeah?" Gabe said. "Poor kid. I knew Jeanie would do something like that."

"We all did." There was a pause in their conversation. The two of them were staring down at the bare driveway.

"So," Gabe began, "are you and Zach really okay?"

"Er... yeah. We're good," Shaun replied. He put his hands in his jean pockets and glanced up at the bright sun. There was another pause, but it was rather shorter.

"I'm really happy for you guys," Gabe admitted. "If you guys ever need anything let me know. And don't hog my best friend."

"Ha, okay," Shaun chuckled.

Zach came out from the house carrying the boxes that he took from his room and Cody's.

"Hey!" Gabe called to Zach.

"What's up man?" Zach said walking up to the two brothers. As he got closer to them, the slower he walked.

"Come here," Gabe said laughing, pulling him into a hug. "Remember, we're still bros." They broke apart: "Although you're dating my brother, which I'll never understand."

"Hey!" Shaun laughed, lightly punching his brother in the shoulder.

"Ha, yeah," Zach said awkwardly.

Cody came out from behind them with his backpack over his shoulder.

"I'm ready," he said coming up next to Zach.

"Hey dude, gimme five," Gabe said, extending his hand. Cody smiled and slapped his hand against Gabe's.

"Go get in the car and then we'll get going, okay?" Shaun said. Cody nodded.

"Bye kiddo. See you in a couple of days! Enjoy my bed!" Gabe joked. Cody went towards Shaun's car and got in. "He does seem a little bummed, ya know?"

"Yeah," Zach said. He turned to watch Cody in the car. "For the record, he has not slept in your room at all. He's had to come sleep with us—." Zach got carried away with what he was saying. He didn't know how Gabe would react if he told him that they were sleeping together. He glanced down at the ground, then went to Shaun, and then back to Gabe.

Gabe looked as though he was expecting more: "Okay then." Gabe looked at Shaun. This was definitely an awkward moment. "Okay then," he repeated, "I guess I'll just start heading up there."

"Thanks for doing this," Shaun said. "Let me know how much gas is."

"No prob. I'll catch you guys later," Gabe said hugging each of them and walked towards the rental truck.

"See ya," Zach said finally. He looked at Shaun who stared back at him for a second then half-laughed before heading towards the car. "What?"

"Nothing," Shaun said, "We'll talk later. Let's go, I want to beat traffic."

Zach ran inside and grabbed the last few items he needed. He took a final glance around the bare house before running back outside.

Later that night, the three boys were sitting in the backyard at Shaun's parents' house. They were having a bonfire and Zach and Shaun were helping Cody roast marshmallows.

Cody seemed to be having the time of his life with sticky hands and chocolate all around his mouth from the s'mores. Shaun was helping roast them and Zach sat back and watched them together. Shaun was so loving towards Cody. Besides Zach, he was the father he never had.

Shaun looked up at Zach. They smiled at each other. It made Zach feel so warm inside. Speaking of warm:

"Cody, come put your hoodie on," Zach said, zipping his own up. Cody came over and Zach helped him put it on. "Five more minutes. You've gotta get going to bed."

"Okay," Cody said, running back to Shaun.

Shaun was sitting on the couch in the den later that night. Zach was coming back downstairs after checking on Cody for the second time. Shaun was watching the end of the news. Zach sat down next to him and smiled at him.

"Zach, you don't have to feel uncomfortable around Gabe," Shaun said finally after a moment of awkward silence.

"What do you mean?" Zach asked. Shaun shifted his eyes.

"Are you kidding? Zach, you felt weird when he was with us today. You don't have to," Shaun said. "Talk to me."

Zach didn't say anything.

"Gabe has known about me for four or five years now," Shaun said. "He's okay with it. I promise."

"I know, Shaun. I'm just not used to it. I'm not used to people knowing," Zach said getting very frustrated with the conversation. "Fuck, I mean I didn't know I was a few weeks ago. This has all happened so fast. I just need to get used to it."

"Okay, okay, I understand. Trust me," Shaun said. "Gabe's been like your brother too. You can always go to him for anything. He cares a lot about you. You guys have been best friends forever. My brother won't look at you any different because of this."

Zach stayed silent. He stared straight ahead. His eyes were watery.

"The night we had that party here and you and I kinda broke up or whatever happened in the car, Gabe figured it out," Shaun said. "He told me he thought something was wrong when you disappeared, then he saw us in your car. After you left, I sat on the front stoop for about an hour. He found me and asked what was going on. I didn't say anything, but later he went to my room and asked if something was going on with us? And from there he kinda just guessed everything."

Zach avoided looking at him.

"Zach?"

"I'm sorry about that. I'm trying to get used to this. I am. I love you. You mean everything to me and I feel so happy when I'm with you," Zach admitted, now crying. "I'm just not used to people know and stuff."

Shaun pulled him close. Zach buried his face in Shaun's neck and shoulder.

"It's okay. Zach, I'm sorry," Shaun said. He felt so guilty. Was he throwing too much at him about the circumstances of their relationship? He kissed Zach's head. "Shh. Zach, it's okay."

Zach squeezed Shaun before pulling away. Shaun wiped Zach's tears away with his thumbs and Zach leaned in and kissed him. After a few seconds, he moved his head back to Shaun's shouder, but now he was more relaxed.

"I'm sorry," Zach whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Shaun said. "I'm here for you."

"I know," Zach said. He seemed to be completely calm now. He wiped away the remaining dampness from his eyes and half smiled at his boyfriend.

"You okay?" Shaun said, concerned. Zach nodded, resting his head on Shaun's shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

**Haven**

_KyleGranger_

Chapter 3

Today was the day. It seemed surreal that it was here. It was just one larger step towards the happy life that both Shaun and Zach desired. They were finally heading up to move into Shaun's house… or apartment. Actually, Zach wasn't sure where he lived. He just knew it was in Los Angeles.

"It's a condo," Shaun clarified when Zach questioned him. According to Shaun, it had three bedrooms and two bathrooms and it was only a short drive to the beach.

"I though you said you didn't surf up there?" Zach asked.

"I don't. Didn't. Doesn't matter anymore. It's a long story I'm just not ready to tell," he admitted seeming frustrated slightly.

Zach paused for a moment before speaking. "Will you tell me when you are ready?" he asked. Shaun nodded. What could it be about? Shaun and Gabe both had the perfect life. What was the reason Shaun was down there again? Oh, a breakup. Enough said.

Zach never thought about Shaun's past. Relationships that is. Would he be jealous when Shaun told him anything?

Shaun knew that he would have to tell Zach about what happened. But not this second. There's too much going on right now for them to talk about it. He also knew that every time he looked at Zach, he felt so warm inside and he knew that's where he was meant to be.

The summer sun was at the highest point in the sky and the June heat wave was becoming more intense as July was just a few days away. Zach was helping Shaun move his suitcases into Shaun's car. Meanwhile, Cody was in the backseat of Zach's car buckling himself into his car seat.

Shaun closed the trunk of his car. "So just follow me. It's not that difficult of a drive," he said. He kissed Zach and waved at Cody before the two went to their separate cars and began their journey.

Shaun was right. The car ride wasn't long. Traffic hadn't hit yet. When they pulled into the parking lot, Zach took a good look at the complex. Shaun definitely had it good here. It was smaller, but seemed upscale. Three seven-story towers resided on the property. The sun reflected on the many glass windows on the buildings which made them shimmer.

Zach stepped out of his car after parking next to Shaun near the third building. The property was outlined with tall palm trees that shaded the lot nicely. Each building had balconies covering them beside the windows.

"So cool," Cody said, hopping out of the car.

"This is really nice, Shaun," Zach admitted.

"It's yours now too," Shaun said. Zach smiled slightly still looking around the property. "We're on the fifth floor of this building," he said, pointing at the building closest to them. "I'm going to go grab a cart for the stuff."

Zach watched him run off towards the garage of the building before turning to Cody. "So what do you think buddy?"

"Is this where we're going to live?" he asked innocently.

"Yup. This is our new home," Zach said questioning what Cody's reaction would be.

"If mommy comes back to California, will she know where we are?"

"Yeah, buddy, she'll know," Zach said smiling.

Shaun came back with a cart and the three of them put boxes and luggage on top of it. This was going to take two trips.

The elevator door opened and the three of them emerged into a circular hallway. There were two doors in front of them and one door on one side of the elevator and two on the other behind them. The door closest to the elevator was the standard emergency staircase.

"That one there," Shaun said pointing to the door to the right in front of them. He handed Cody his keys, singling out the one that unlocked that door. The glow in Cody's face was so childish and cute. Cody grabbed the keys and opened the door. Zach smiled and chuckled a little.

"Cool!" Cody shouted, running inside. Zach smiled and looked a Shaun who motioned him to go inside and check it out.

Zach stepped in through the doorway. Straight ahead he could see the small kitchen. As the walkway curved, passing the kitchen the rest of the condo fell into place. A dining room table sat just next to the kitchen and just a few feet away was a small living room with one couch and two single armchairs on either side of it. All of these were facing the television mounted on the wall. Finally, just passed the living room was a large sliding door that led out to a small cozy balcony.

On either side of the long living space were the bedrooms. On the left there was a bathroom with two bedrooms on either side. The bedroom to the left of the bathroom appeared to be a study. It had a desk that wrapped half of the room and a small TV was mounted in the corner. The bedroom on the opposite side was simply bare apart from its lime green walls and random exercise bicycle.

Zach moved across the to the opposite side of his new home to the last bedroom, which, he assumed, was going to be his since the two other bedrooms were relatively small and without beds. Shaun was walking in carrying boxes as Zach entered the room.

Zach was right. This was his room. A queen-sized bed sat in the centered against the wall opposite from a long dresser with a small TV set upon it. The windows on the furthest side revealed the same view that the balcony had. The sun was now heading towards the horizon in the beginning stages of sunset.

He turned on his heel to see the other side of the room. A walk-in closet was to the left. He flipped on the light to find a half-empty closet. Shaun's clothes were hanging on the right, taking up exactly half of the room. The curiosity, and suddenly jealousy, of Shaun's last relationship hit him.

Zach shook his head and continued to the bathroom, which was nothing more than just a bathroom.

Shaun came into the room, wheeling two suitcases behind him. "Hey. So... what do you think?"

"It's really nice, Shaun," Zach said, approaching him and putting his arm around Shaun's waist.

"I'm glad you like it," Shaun said, pivoting pulling into a full hug. "I hope it makes you feel at home," he whispered in his ear.

"It does," he said pulling away and kissed him on the cheek.

"Er so, I'm sure you noticed I'm missing a bed," Shaun said embarrassed. "Cody we'll have to sleep with us tonight or until we get a bed for him. We can probably do that tomorrow."

"That's fine. No big deal. Where's Cody anyways?"

"The balcony."

Zach and Shaun joined Cody on the balcony. Two chairs and a small circular table took up most of the space along with a grill.

"Isn't this cool, Zach?" Cody cried with excitement.

"Yeah, it's awesome, isn't it?" he replied softly, looking for the ocean that was very faintly visible on the horizon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Haven**

_KyleGranger_

Chapter 4

The following day, Zach and Cody unpacked their boxes and suitcases while Shaun was out getting groceries because the home had been empty for the past month. Shaun had a stash of M&M's and barbeque potato chips in his room that they snacked on when they were hungry.

Zach filled the other half of their closet with his clothes; however, he only took up half of the vacant space that wasn't Shaun's. In the six-drawer dresser, three were his, and three were Shaun's. This made him feel so at home, but it brought up the question as to whose clothes previously resided in these drawers. Something turned in his stomach, but he just put it off.

Shaun walked through the front door with the cart they had used the day before to bring in the groceries.

After helping Shaun with the groceries, the three of them went out again to pick up a bed for Cody. They also decided to pick up a couple of other things to make his room a little homier. Shaun picked out a toy box for him, a couple of new toys, sheets for his bed, and a lamp.

At the furniture store, Zach and Shaun picked out a dresser for Cody. Meanwhile, Cody seemed to be having the time of his life "testing" the beds.

"I want this one," Cody announced. He was lying on top of a full-size bed with a rocket ship comforter.

"Codes, that one's a size too big," Zach said, shaking his head and motioning him to get off the bed.

"Hun," Shaun said softly next to Zach, "let's just get him this one. It's not that big of a deal and we won't have to buy him another one when he's older. He'll just grow into it."

"Shaun, I can't afford this, let alone a twin."

"You aren't paying for it. I didn't expect you to. I want to take care of you, Zach. We're a family now. Basically, my money is your money," Shaun laughed.

"Okay," Zach said, giving up. He smiled. This all still felt like a dream to him. A good dream.

After Shaun paid for the bed and dresser and set up the next-day delivery, the three of them went back home, but on the way Shaun showed them around the area. He pointed out the school where Cody would be going in the fall, a couple of nice restaurants that he enjoyed, the grocery store, the movie theater he liked to go to, and the ice cream shop, which naturally he promised to take Cody to.

When they got back home, Cody carried his bag of toys and bed sheets, while Shaun and Zack carried the toy box with the lamp inside it. Once they stepped out of the elevator, Shaun fished his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Cody. The door behind them clicked before it opened. A short, older man stepped out into the hallway with an unlit cigar in his mouth and wearing a crème colored bathrobe and leather flip flops.

"Shaun!" he said hoarsely. The boys turned as Cody opened the door.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Barlow," Shaun said. He sounded as though this was an extreme inconvenience.

"Haven't seen you around the past couple of weeks."

"Yeah, I er... went back home to visit my brother and take some time off," he explained.

"Ah, gotcha, gotcha," he said, coughing. "Haven't seen Tim in a while either."

Shaun froze. The name seemed to have stricken him and he stood there paralyzed. "Yeah, he moved out about a month and a half ago." Shaun paused for a moment, but he never looked over to Zach. "He moved back home to be with family."

Mr. Barlow coughed once more. "Ah okay then. Well you guys have a good night. Don't be a stranger Andrews."

"Yes, sir," Shaun said once more. Mr. Barlow departed back into his home and closed the door behind him.

Shaun was frozen. He didn't want to move. He knew he would have to tell Zach about his past relationship eventually, but he tried to postpone it for as long as he could. It wasn't that he anything to hide, but for some reason he thought it would add strain and stress to their relationship. The item that was 'Zach and Shaun' was still very new and very fragile. This may not be his first relationship with a man, but it was Zach's and he was already far from his comfort zone. Everything was simply going perfectly now (until this past minute) and Shaun didn't want anything to destroy that.

As his guts twisted, Shaun turned to face Zach. Zach stared blankly at him. Zach looked as though he was trying to not seem bothered, but he was doing a horrible job.

Zach blinked a couple times as though he were snapping out of a daydream. "C'mon," he said softly, motioning towards the inside of their home, which Cody had already entered.

The rest of the night went on slowly and quietly. Shaun cooked dinner while Zach and Cody watched an hour of Spongebob Squarepants. During the dinner, the three of them sat in silence, only speaking when Cody started a conversation.

After dinner, Zach grabbed Cody's plate and placed in on top of his. He made the motion to get up, but Shaun stopped him. "I'll get it," he said sweetly. Shaun felt so guilty, but so did Zach. Zach knew this was coming and he was trying to be as unemotional as possible, but showing no emotion just means, from Shaun's perspective, that he was heartbroken. He didn't want to be upset, but he was.

After Shaun tucked Cody into their bed for the last time, he found Zach on the balcony having a beer. "Hey," he said closing the door behind him and taking a seat next to his boyfriend.

"Hi."

"So do you want to talk about it?" Shaun asked after a long pause.

"Shaun, I'm sorry. I really am. I don't mean to be like this. I don't know why this upsets me so much," Zach blurted out.

"So you are upset?"

"Yeah, I'm upset. But I don't even know fucking why! It bothers the shit out me."

"I'm really sorry," Shaun said coolly. "I didn't want you to find out like that. I wanted to be the one to tell you everything and in all honesty, I was going to do it soon."

Zach ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "I knew you were in a relationship before, but the past month and a half has just been so... perfect... for the most part that I didn't care to hear it. Argh. Why am I feeling this way?"

Shaun looked down to the ground. "Could it be jealousy?" He didn't know how Zach would react, if he would be all manly and deny it or admit that he was.

Zach was staring at the horizon where the sun had set already and a faint glow could be seen. "Yeah, okay? I guess I am jealous. You've been through all of this before, Shaun, I feel inexperienced and uncomfortable."

"You're uncomfortable?"

"No. I mean yes. I mean... kind of. You've been in this situation before. It's new to me. I've never been with... a guy before," he said hesitantly.

"Zach, I know that."

"Well then do you understand how it is uncomfortable?"

"Yeah, I do."

The two of them took a minute to cool down. Zach's breathing began to slow and Shaun watery eyes cleared.

"I never thought I'd be bothered by a past relationship you had," Zach said, "and I don't even know the full details. I bet you're not bothered by me and Tori." Shaun simply shrugged. "See!" Zach tossed his hands up.

"Zach," Shaun began. Zach looked over, tears glazed his eyes. "Do you love me?"

"Yeah, Shaun, I do. I really do."

"Then isn't that enough?" he said. "Who cares about my past? Live in the present, Zach. I am. I could not be happier with my life right now. Everything is perfect and it's all because of you."

* * *

Author's note: Sorry for the late update. I was having uploading issues. Please review.


	5. Chapter 5

**Haven**

_KyleGranger_

Chapter 5

"His name was Tim," Shaun began to explain the following evening. They sat in the living room on the couch, each of them sat in a corner and a clear spot vacant between them. Zach sat still, feet firmly planted on the ground, and facing forward while Shaun seemed somewhat relaxed, but hugging a light blue throw pillow. They put Cody to bed, in his new bed, just a few minutes earlier.

"Okay..." Zach said softly.

"His name was Tim. We dated for almost 3 years. I met him at school. He majored in English like I did. We found this place together and we moved in right after we graduated."

"Okay," Zach repeated even softer.

There was a long pause in which they were each tortured by their on thoughts. Shaun didn't know what to do to make it up to him. And then what shouldn't he tell him? He doesn't want Zach to be anymore upset than he is, although he sat there frozen and, once again, emotionless.

Zach still didn't understand why this bothered him so much. He hated the thought of Shaun dating some other guy, living with some other guy, sleeping with some other guy.

"Shaun, I don't know why this bother me so much," Zach said honestly.

"That chapter's over," Shaun began. "He was, for the most part, my first real relationship. Deep down, I knew it wasn't going to work out."

"What happened?"

"Well he did end up moving back home to Sacramento. But it just ended."

There was a momentary pause. "Shaun, what really happened?" Zach asked turning towards him.

"Er... he left me," Shaun replied, "if that's what you're asking."

Zach was disappointed by his response. It wasn't what he was hoping for. Shaun could tell by the fake grin across his face.

"But, like I said, that chapter of my life is over," Shaun said. "Zach, you're my life now. And Cody. Everything here, this family, is all that I care about."

"Do you still love him?" Zach asked quietly.

"No, Zach, of course not, no! I love you!"

Zach half smiled at this and then leaved over to rest his head in Shaun's lap. Shaun then ran his fingers through Zach's hair.

"I still don't know why it bothers me so much. I don't like thinking about you with anybody else but me I guess," Zach explained. "Don't want seconds I guess."

Shaun chuckled awkwardly.

"So..." Zach began. "Mr. Barlow..."

"Ha!" Shaun laughed loudly. "Yeah, he's funny. He's lived here forever. His family lives down in San Diego and they only come up every so often to check on him. He's a nice guy, kinda creepy though, in his own way."

"Did he know about you and Tim?" Zach asked, hesitating before he said Tim's name.

"No, we told him we were roommates. I don't know exactly what he's going to think now that Cody's going to be here. But who cares." Shaun leaned over and kissed Zach's cheek. "Yeah, so Mr. Barlow lives there. The opposite condo is vacant for now. And our next-door neighbors are the Bradfords. They pretty much keep to themselves. Very religious though."

"Gotcha," Zach replied. "I need to find a new job. One with flexible hours when school starts."

"Take your time, hun, we'll be okay for a while," Shaun said. "I need to finish working on my book. I have a meeting with my publisher. If I don't have something substantial she'll give me a deadline. So I'm going to work on that tomorrow, if that's okay with you."

"Yeah," Zack said. "I was thinking about going to see my dad, but I'm not sure."

Shaun's stomach twisted. "Why?"

"Well I was just going to tell him what's going on," Zach explained. "We just got up and left and he doesn't even know why. I'm sure Jeanie talked to him, but I'm not sure what she told him. Anyway, I was going to go visit him, make sure he's okay, and talk to him. So will you be able to watch Cody tomorrow, incase things with my dad hits the fan?"

"Yeah, of course. I'll be here all day. But are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"Yes. I need to do it. Once he knows, I think the worst of it is over," Zach said. Shaun nodded.

"Okay, honey," Shaun said. "I'm gonna head to bed. You coming?"

"Yeah." Zach sat up, allowing Shaun to stand and he followed him to the bedroom.

* * *

As he said he would, Zach arrived at his dad's house the following day. It was around noon and a dark stampede of clouds began rolling in from over the ocean. A large storm was on its way. 'A sign, maybe?' Zach thought, pulling into the gravel driveway of the small house. He slid his phone out from his pocket and fingered the words 'wish me luck' and sent them to Shaun. He took a deep breath and stepped out of the car while glancing at the oncoming storm again. He noticed the front door was open behind the screen door as he stepped up onto the front porch.

Zach knocked on the screen's frame and called, "dad!"

"Yeah?" a hoarse voice came from his right, startling him.

"Jesus," Zach said softly while taking a step back.

His dad sat in a plastic lawn chair tucked in the corner of the porch. He chuckled lightly. "How are ya, kid?" He motioned to the empty chair next to him.

Zach sat. "I'm fine. Good. I thought you were going to try to stop that." He pointed at the cigarette wedged between his dad's fingers.

"Tried. Failed. I'll try again later," he said as though he had rehearsed it. "Storm's coming." Zach nodded, trying to look relaxed. They sat in silence for a few seconds before his dad awkwardly continued. "So how's LA?"

"It's good."

"Yeah?" his dad replied, waiting for more.

Zach didn't continue. He wanted to just get it over with, but the words wouldn't escape his mouth. Maybe there was a way for him to subtlety come up.

"Have you talked to Jeanie?" he asked finally.

"Yeah, she called a couple days ago. Told me how things are going. She hasn't found a job, but they found a small apartment. Didn't ask how things were here, said she didn't even talk to you yet," he said resentfully. He brought the cigarette to his lips.

"In all honesty, Zach, I'm really disappointed in your sister. God knows this shit won't even work out the way she's expecting it to." His dad shook his head in disgust and sighed. "So... What brings you back out this way?"

And here it was.

"Just wanted to see how you were..."

"I'm fine, Zach. Just surprised you got up and left. Moved in with Gabe's brother."

"I know," Zach said shamefully. "I guess I kind of am too."

They went silent again after his dad coughed when taking a drag from his cigarette. Zach had to get this out. He couldn't take anymore of the random silent moments.

"Dad, there's something I need to tell you," Zach said, leaning forward in his chair.

"Why didn't you bring Cody?" he said, staring out at the storm. The wind was beginning to pick up.

"What? Because there's something I need to tell you and talk to you about," Zach said tensely. "Dad, I don't know how much Jeanie told you about what's been going on in our lives, but I moved in with Shaun because, well, I really care about him..."

His dad stared at him. "Huh?"

"I love him, dad," Zach said. Suddenly, the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders, but anxiety took over for part two: the response from his dad.

His dad turned and stared back out at the storm that was now just overhead. Zach sat and waited for his dad to speak next.

"Zach, are you trying to tell me that you're a homo?" his dad said while still looking out across the lawn.

"Yeah, dad, I guess that's why I'm trying to say unfortunately," Zach said shamefully. His dad sat in silence for a while longer; silence that Zach wouldn't dare break. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead and he wiped them away with the sleeve of his hoodie.

"I'm sorry if I seem a little shocked that my only son is a fairy!" he grunted, putting the cigarette to his lips again, but never looking to Zach.

Light drops of rain were now appearing from the dark sky.

"Dad, I'm sorry. I'm still the same person. I'm not a flaming fairy, dad. I'm still exactly the same. You just know something new and now you see me as some deviant," Zach said aggravated. "I really am sorry, dad. I never wanted to hurt you or Tori or Gabe or Jeanie or, even, Cody. But dad, I love him and I want to be with him, and the two of us are going to take care of and raise Cody the best we can.

"I didn't ask for Jeanie to leave him with me. She hated this too! She wanted to go to fucking Oregon with that tool so bad and she needed to ditch Cody so bad that she is dealing with his situation. I gave her that ultimatum: she deals with me and Shaun together and taking care of Cody, or she stays and takes care of _her_ son. I could've kept this from you, but I felt like you needed to know."

Zach stopped himself from continuing. He was becoming too overwhelmed. He waited for his dad to respond, but nothing came. His dad just sat there and continued to stare out across the lawn. His eyes not fixated on anything.

Zach's aggravation increased to the point where he just stood up and made to leave. Before he stepped off of the front porch, he pivoted to face his father.

"Dad, I hoped you would just understand. You're all that I have left."

Zach quickly walked to his car and drove off as the rain began to pour down.


	6. Chapter 6

**Haven**

_KyleGranger_

Chapter 6

Zach returned home. The rain continued to pour down and lightning lit the sky a couple of times. On the kitchen counter was a note:

_Zach,_

_Hope everything went okay. I had to meet with my publisher. Took Cody with me. Be back around 5ish. Call me if you need me. Love you._

_-Shaun_

Zach glanced at the clock on the stove in the kitchen. It read: 3:41.

He continued forward passing the dining room table. He walked out onto the balcony to look at the storm. The dark clouds above made the area around him dark, however, in the far distance Zach could see sunlight trying to pierce through the clouds.

Zach slipped his phone from out of his front pocket and glanced at the home screen. He'd done this about thirty times now since he left his dad's house. In a dream world, he wanted his dad to try his hardest to get in touch with him after their horrible conversation to apologize, beg forgiveness, and accept him. However, even if he did call, Zach would ignore him. Either way, he didn't call.

After returning inside, he went to his room and kicked off his shoes and peeled off his shirt. He walked over to the window and took one last look at the storm before closing the blinds. Hopefully the storm would be long gone by the time he reopened them. He then moved towards his side of the bed and lied down on top of the covers. A chill moved up his back and he crossed his arms and tucked his body in closer. He gazed over at the blinds he just closed and stared at a single stream of light that came through a small opening.

The conversation Zach had with his father played over and over in his mind. He then thought about when Zach brought Shaun over before Jeanne left. Both situations were the worst experiences. Zach just wanted to be happy and wanted everything to be okay.

He remembered back to the day that Jeanne came home with some equally surprising news. It was Saturday and he was a sophomore in high school. He laid in his bed staring at a stream of light that shown through his window shades. Then the light beamed extravagantly as it filtered through a tear in his eye. His mom was sick; she was dying.

The previous day, his mom and dad sat down with Jeanne and him and told them about it. Jeanne was heartbroken, but it in no way compared to the pain that Zach felt. He turned and stared at the ceiling. How could she be sick? She looked completely healthy. Yeah, she was tired and took naps everyday, but she's also getting older. She'd be forty-nine in a couple months. It would be completely normal for her energy to go down. Zach didn't understand, but, at the same time, he didn't want to understand.

A knock came from his bedroom door.

"You okay, bud?" his dad's voice called.

"Fine," Zach choked.

"Okay. Well, your mother has some breakfast ready if you want some."

"I'll be there in a minute," he replied. He glanced over at his alarm clock: it was nearly ten. He's not usually up this early on a Saturday, but he didn't go out partying with Gabe the night before after this bombshell was dropped.

Zach got out of bed and slipped on a t-shirt from the ground and a pair of shorts before heading out for breakfast. As he walked into the kitchen, the smell of French toast hit him. What would the house be like without the smell of home cooking? His dad couldn't cook worth a damn. Then his eyes moved to his mom who was washing dishes with her back towards him and his dad was already helping himself to some eggs.

"Morning, son," his dad said looking up at him.

His mom turned on her heel. "Good morning, honey. You're up early today. You do know today is Saturday, right?" She smiled a fake smile, unsure of how to act in this situation. That's how all three of them felt.

"Well I didn't sleep well as you can imagine," he said sadly. "Where's Jeanne?"

"She went out a little earlier for some big drama emergency. Had to go talk to Caitlyn, you know," his mother said sitting down next to him. She placed her hand on Zach's knee and massaged it with her thumb. She then gave him a comforting smile before turning to the plate of French toast.

After breakfast, Zach stayed in the kitchen and read Friday's paper while his mother washed the dishes. His dad went out to mow the front lawn quickly so he could come in to watch TV. Zach wouldn't normally do this, but knowing that his mom would soon not be around anymore, he felt the need to be with her and feel her presence.

Out of nowhere, Jeanne came barging through the backdoor from the driveway. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she acted as normal as she could.

"Honey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" her mother asked concerned. She rushed over and put her hands on her shoulders.

"Can I talk to you and dad alone, please," Jeanne asked stone-faced.

"Er..., of course. What's wrong honey?"

"I just want to talk to you and dad," she repeated.

"Okay, okay," she backed off. "Zach, honey, can you go to your room please?"

Zach was concerned, but obeyed. He followed his mother into the living room where she opened the front door and called for his dad. Zach continued to his bedroom, which, unfortunately, was the furthest room from the living room. He stepped into his room and closed the door behind him, leaving it open just a crack. He listened as hard as he could through the crack.

He'd done this many times before while listening to his parents argue about their financial troubles. His dad would yell the typical, _'you need to find a steady job, I can't keep working overtime.' _It made him slightly resentful towards his father over the years. He tried to click with him the best he could, but they were never as close as a father and son should be.

Zach could hear mumbling coming from the living room down the hall, but couldn't make out any of the words they were saying.

'_She probably just got pulled over again_,' Zach thought. Jeanne wasn't the best child. Not that Zach was that great either. But Jeanne already had a DUI and had been caught smoking pot twice by the cops. This was either DUI number two or arrest for possession number three.

Just then Zach could hear select words from down the hall. Their voices now loud and angry.

"-LOVE HIM!" Jeanne yelled.

"ROY-. MY DAUGHTER-. ABSOLUTELY NOT!" he could hear his dad scream.

"I HATE Y-" Jeanne yelled once more before Zach heard the bang from the front door. He shifted from the door to the window and opened the shades he was staring at earlier. Jeanne was running towards a beaten up car parked on the curb out front with her hands covering her face. Jeanne's boyfriend, Roy, was in the driver's seat. Roy leaned over and hugged her before they drove off.

Zach stepped out of his room and walked in the living room to find his mom in the armchair, frozen. His dad was standing in front of the bay window staring at the spot where the car once sat.

"Everything okay?" Zach said.

Zach's dad sighed. "Your sister's pregnant," he said calmly. He moved back to the couch beside the armchair where his wife sat and put his hand on her knee. She was still frozen, but there were tears in her eyes.

Zach retreated to his room and got back in his bed. If only he knew what the future had in store. His parents and Jeanne talked again a few days later. They decided to go through with the pregnancy. The bad thing was that Roy was hoping she wouldn't keep it. When she told him she was, he left and they never heard from him again.

Cody was born surprisingly on the day he was expected. The entire family gave him a warm welcome. Jeanne's room was redecorated with Zach's help to include a small crib and changing table. Jeanne and Zach took turns taking care of him throughout the day and night. Their dad cared for their mom as she became weaker and weaker over the months.

Two months after Cody was born, Zach's mom died in her sleep. It was the hardest thing he ever had to go through. The funeral consisted of a very small group of friends and family. Their dad had a hard time with the loss. He became very depressed and that didn't mix well with the stress of having to care for the family on his own and work overtime to pay the bills.

Zach got the part time job at the diner to help out. He worked Saturday and Sunday mornings and then would go home to help with Cody. He rarely saw Gabe anymore and the only surfing he got to do was in his dreams.

Zach compared the way his dad handled Jeanne's news to the way he handled his news. Eventually his dad came around to Jeanne. Hopefully the same would happen for him.

"Zach," said a familiar voice. He felt a hand moved up and down his arm. "Zach."

Zach blinked awake to see Shaun sitting on the edge of the bed. The light streaming from the doorway to the living room made Shaun appear as a silhouette.

"Hi," Zach stretched.

"How did it go?" Shaun asked.


	7. Chapter 7

**Haven**

_KyleGranger_

Chapter 7

It was the morning after and Shaun and Zach were sitting in their bed, while Cody sat in the living room playing with his trucks. After listening to Zach retell the story to him, Shaun felt surprised, relieved, and disappointed all at the same time. Shaun knows how hard it is to come out. But being the boyfriend in this situation and having no choice but sit and watch how it pans out is different for him. All of Shaun's past boyfriends, the very few that there were, were already out or never came out during the duration of their relationship.

Shaun placed his hand on Zach's thigh: "I'm really sorry."

Zach simply shrugged it off and left the room to sit on the couch near Cody.

Shaun sighed and rubbed his face with his hands.

On the nightstand next to him, Zach's phone began to vibrate and light up. "Jeanne Cell" was the name that appeared. Shaun picked in up and walked it into the living room and casually handed it to Zach. He glanced at the name, rolled his eyes, and then tossed his phone to the side.

Shaun was confused by his actions, but didn't want to start anything, especially with Cody mindlessly playing on the floor between them. Instead, he turned and walked into the kitchen. He pulled out a beer from the fridge, and then disappeared into the study to work.

The phone beside Zach vibrated once more. Jeanne apparently left a message to his surprise.

"Zach, hey, it's me. Just uh wanted to see how Cody is doing. Um. I also just wanted to let you know that we made it up here and we're settled in. So you can call me back if you want or not. Whatever. Okay. Bye."

Zach debated calling her back in his head for a moment. It probably would be a good idea to. He lifted himself off the couch and walked into the study where Shaun was working on his computer. Well he was supposed to be working on his computer, but instead was watching something on TV.

Zach knocked twice as he entered. "Hey. Can you watch him for a minute while I-." Zach waved his phone and Shaun understood.

"Yeah," Shaun said before calling for Cody. "Hey Cody, come hang out with me in here."

Zach cracked a smile.

Cody came running into the room with his trucks as Cody walked out into the living room closing the door a little behind him.

Zach walked towards the balcony door while he scrolled through his phone to find her number.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Zach?"

"Yeah. Hi."

"Um. Hi. Hang on a second?"

Zach could hear some shifting and mumbling. He began to pace around the room as he waited.

"Hey, sorry. Um, so how are you?"

"I'm great, Jeanne," Zach said, in an unconvincing way.

"Um okay. So did you and Cody move to LA?"

"Yeah, we moved into Shaun's apartment." Zach was hoping he would've been able to not mention Shaun's name during their conversation. He didn't know what kind of conversation would follow.

"Right," Jeanne replied quickly. There was a short pause that Zach was afraid of. "So how's Cody?"

"He's fine," Zach said, but wasn't satisfied with that so continued: "He's great."

"Oh... that's um awesome." Zach could hear the discomfort in her tone.

"So have you talked to dad?" he asked curiously.

"Actually I hung up with him just before I called you. He said you visited him. That was nice of you. Please keep an eye on him as well."

Zach was suddenly shocked and confused. Had his dad not told Jeanne about what happened during his visit. "Is he upset?"

"About what? The fact that you visited him? No? He was happy you stopped by," she said, also becoming confused. "Please make sure he's taking his pills, okay Zach? I actually have to go. Tell Cody I love him and I'll talk to you guys soon. Bye."

"Okay then, bye," Zach said annoyed by her abrupt goodbye. She didn't even want to talk to Cody herself?

He closed his phone and stared down at it for a few seconds with a face of disbelief and disgust as if he was looking straight at her.

He walked back towards the study and glanced through the crack in the doorway. Cody had gotten tired of his toys and was now sitting in Shaun's lap watching TV. Zach smiled. Shaun noticed the figure in the doorway and glanced over. He smiled back.

* * *

Later that night, Shaun, Zach, and Cody were going to meet Gabe for pizza at a small parlor about 10 minutes away from their home.

It was the first time Zach had seen him since they moved into Shaun's place. Although, everything between them was okay and Gabe was okay with everything, Zach couldn't shake the awkwardness he felt being with him and Shaun at the same time.

At dinner, Gabe just talked and talked. It wasn't even about anything special or important. He just seemed to babble on and on. Cody was growing tired quickly after they finished.

Gabe wanted to talk more to Zach so Shaun offered to take him home and Gabe and Zach would walk back since it wasn't too far.

The sky was turning orange as the sun began to set and there was a cool breeze. Zach pulled on his hoodie as they parted from Shaun and Cody.

"So how have you guys been since you moved in?" Gabe asked Zach on their walk back home.

Awkward.

It was awkward for Zach to discuss stuff like this with Gabe. He just wasn't used to it yet.

"Good," Zach said quickly. Gabe nodded.

"Now that I've had time to think about it, I'm really okay with the fact that you're with my brother. He's a really good person and I wanted him to find someone special. I never thought it would be you, but at the same time I want you to be happy too."

"Yeah," Zach added simply to show he was listening.

"He cares about you a lot. The night he told me about what was going on between you two-. You know, the night of my party. Shaun ditched the party and went to his room. I saw you guys in the car, but didn't think anything of it.

"When I went to talk to him, I walked into his room and he was crying. Like I'm not kidding. He was so upset and I kinda started putting two and two together. Anyways, he told me everything and told me how he really loved you and wanted you to be the one."

Zach was now enjoying his babbling. He smiled. It's good to hear how much someone loves you from a third party.

"I really care about my brother Zach and he is really happy with you. He really, really loves you."

Zach looked around for a second. No one was in earshot, so he softly said, "I love him too, Gabe."

Gabe patted his back and squeezed his neck.

"We've always been bros, but I never thought you'd be the bro-in-law," Gabe said jokingly.

Zach laughed.

"Have you seen Tori?" Zach asked.

"Nah," Gabe replied. "Haven't you talked to her?"

"I've been meaning to call her, but I've been kind of sidetracked with the move and telling my dad," Zach admitted.

"You told your dad?" Gabe was shocked. "How did that play out?"

"Not well," he said, "I'd actually rather not talk about it."

"That's fine, that's cool," Gabe said. They continued to walk and talked about surfing and Gabe's latest fling before Gabe mentioned something Zach did not see coming.

"So did Shaun tell you my mom and step-dad are coming in tomorrow?"

* * *

Read my movie review for Shelter on my blog,


	8. Chapter 8

**Haven**

_KyleGranger_

Chapter 8

"I can't believe you didn't tell me your parents were coming?"

Zach was adjusting his tie in the mirror of the bathroom.

"Zach, would you stop," Shaun's voice echoed from inside the shower. "I've apologized enough."

The water stopped. "Toss me my towel please."

Zach walked into their bedroom and grabbed a towel from the stack of freshly washed laundry on the bed.

Shaun had stepped out of the shower and stood there waiting for the towel. Zach was startled when he returned to the bathroom.

"Oh," Zach said shocked at what he found. He chuckled a little and whipped the towel to him. Shaun laughed.

Zach returned to the mirror and messed around with his hair a little.

"What's the big deal?" Shaun asked, patting himself dry. "You've met them before. We've spent a whole vacation with them and Gabe."

"It's just different now," Zach said simply. Shaun moved from beside the shower and approached Zach from behind. His head was now visible in the mirror with Zach's.

"Relax," Shaun smiled and then kissed his neck. "You'll," he kissed his neck again, "be," and again, "just," and again, "fine," and again, one last time. A smiled widened across Zach's face. "You look very cute by the way."

"Thanks," Zach said, still smiling. He was wearing a white button down shirt, with khaki pants, and a solid, light blue tie.

Shaun continued into the room to change.

Cody was in the living room hopefully still watching Nickelodeon or playing with his truck. They were planning on meeting Shaun's mom and step-dad and Gabe at a nice restaurant down in Long Beach.

Zach walked over to the window to look outside. It was gorgeous weather. It was the middle of July and today was unusually cool. It was actually a really nice day to be outside. Naturally, the restaurant they were going to was outdoors and seaside. It was perfect. Zach thought some more about what was to come with this lunch.

"You want to know why this is such a big deal for me?" Zach asked then turned around. Shaun was pulling his pants up and gave Zach his attention. "This is like a stupid movie where the guy is from rags and girl is from riches."

"Zach-," Shaun tried to intrude.

"Shaun, just hear me out right now," Zach snapped. "I'm not kidding. This is exactly how I feel. Yeah, I went on vacation and I know your mom loves me. But I'm no longer just the best friend of Gabe; I'm the boyfriend of Shaun. Now I feel like I'm held up to a new standard, you know? And then there's Cody-."

"What about Cody?" Shaun asked.

"I don't want them to think we're depending on you to take care of us," Zach explained.

"Fuck, Zach. Are you serious with this?" Shaun got upset, which Zach, oddly, was not expecting. "It seems like everyday I have to tell you how much I care about you. Are you like insecure about this relationship? Do you think I don't truly care about you and Cody?"

Zach shrugged. He found it difficult to respond. Shaun was sitting on the bed with his face in his hands. He was about to continue when there was a knock on the door. Zach opened it and Cody walked in and jumped on the bed next to Shaun.

"When are we going? I'm tired of waiting," he whined.

"Almost done," Shaun said getting up to pick out a shirt from the closet.

Cody sighed and walked back out into the living room.

Shaun returned out of the closet buttoning up a solid, light blue dress shirt.

"Is that what you're going to wear?" Zach asked.

"Um. Yes?" he replied bitterly. "Why?"

Zach held up the light blue tie that was around his neck and said, "You can't wear the same color that I'm wearing."

"Are you for real right now?" Shaun said. His faced was full of confusion and anger.

"Yes, Shaun. Do you want them to think we're a couple or something?" Zach was taken back by his own words. He couldn't believe he just let those words escape his mouth. Shaun starred at him blankly. He was shock, confused, mortified, and disgusted all in one.

"Shaun, I-" Zach started, but Shaun raised his hand to stop him. At the sight of Shaun's water-filled eyes, Zach felt disgusted with himself.

There was a moment of silence that was painful on both sides. Both men replayed it over in his head. The only thing that broke the silence was Cody's impatient moans coming from the living room.

Shaun sighed before speaking, his voice trembling slightly.

"Let's just get this over with," he said softly. He got up and tucked in his shirt. "Cody, we're leaving."

Zach stood there motionless. Even when Shaun had left the room and grabbed the car keys, he remained still. Cody went running into the room to retrieve him.

"Come on Zach," he said pulling him by the hand.

* * *

The car ride to the restaurant was silent. Cody even fell asleep in the back. Shaun drove, while Zach sat there starring forward and emotionless.

Shaun found a vacant parking spot on the side of the road. The restaurant was on the corner of a popular city strip. The street was lined with tall buildings and many shops with plenty of people walking around.

"I'm sorry," Zach said softly dropping his head.

Shaun waved his hand and said, "not now." He got out of the car and opened up the back door to pick up Cody who was still asleep. Zach remained in the car for a moment before slowly getting out and moving around to the other side of the car where Shaun was carrying Cody.

"I'll take him," Zach said closing the back door and motioning for Cody.

"I'm fine," Shaun said, walking past Zach. "I can take care of him."

Zach stood in the street watching his boyfriend, or whatever they are at the moment, walk away with Cody in his arms. It was cute and heartwarming to watch, but Zach felt torn inside.

Gabe was the only one at the restaurant when they arrived. He was sitting at a circular table in the corner of the room wearing a pale pink shirt with a black tie and, naturally, had a beer in his hand. He spotted the three as they walked in and stood up to greet them.

They said each hello and Gabe pulled Zach into a hug before moving to Shaun and simply put his arm around him. He didn't want to disturb Cody who was just starting to wake up; he was going in and out of sleep.

Zach took a seat beside Gabe and Shaun set Cody down in the chair next to Zach so he could be between the two of them.

"Something to drink?" asked the waitress who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Rolling Rock, please," Shaun said, "bottle. And he'll have a lemonade." He was referring to the half-sleeping boy next to him.

"And for you?" she asked Zach.

"Water," he said softly.

"Great. I'll be back."

Gabe could sense something was wrong. Zach's eyes seemed to wander around the restaurant instead of focusing on their party or making conversation. And Shaun was acting out of the ordinary. Gabe could easily tell when his own brother wasn't being himself.

"So..." Gabe began, "something wrong?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Shaun responded for the both of them. Gabe turned to Zach for acknowledgement. Zach made a very slight nodding motion with his head, but never looking at Gabe.

The restaurant was slow. It was slower than they anticipated. Three empty tables surrounded them. The breeze from outside flew through the restaurant. It was great weather for an open-air restaurant.

"And they're here," Gabe said quietly. Zach and Shaun turned to Gabe in order to follow his eyes.

The brothers' mom and step-dad were walking towards them.

"There they are," their mom, Heather, said, quickly weaving her way through the empty tables to get to them. She was a beautiful woman with wavy blonde hair that fell down to her shoulders, Shaun's eyes, and the brightest smile you will ever see. She was wearing a lavender top with a khaki pencil skirt.

Their step-dad followed her. He was an older gentleman with short, graying-brown hair that matched his graying mustache and he wore a grey suit. His name was Larry.

Shaun and Gabe stood up with Zach following quickly behind.

"Hi sweetie," Heather said, wrapping her arms around Gabe before moving to Shaun.

Larry walked over to Gabe and put his arm around him. "Hey, kiddo! How are ya?" he said.

"Good, good," Gabe replied. Larry moved over to Shaun, smiling, and shook his hand.

Shaun seemed bothered to have to acknowledge him. Zach watched, confused.

"And how are you, bud?" Larry said to Shaun while shaking his hand.

"Fine, Larry, thanks," Shaun said coldly before sitting back down in his seat.

Heather had now moved over to Zach and gave him a small hug.

"And how are you doing sweetie? It's been a long time," she said.

"Great, thanks. You?"

"Just peachy," she replied moving towards one of the open seats. Jack then moved towards Zach and shook his hand.

"Good to see you again," Larry said.

"Same to you sir," he replied.

"You don't need to call me sir, Zach," Larry laughed and moved to the open seat beside his wife.

The waitress returned with their drinks and took their orders, along with Heather and Larry's drink orders. Once she had left, Heather broke the silence. She definitely seemed to be the parent that liked to take control of situations.

"So, um, Zach, how are you adjusting to the move?" Heather asked politely. She seemed to want to get right into it. It actually caught both Zach and Shaun off guard. They were sure she would bring up that topic as a last resort.

"I, um, we're doing great," Zach responded struggling to find words. Shaun half-smiled to agree as his mother looked to him. Shaun wasn't doing a very good job of faking being happy. Gabe didn't want to pry, especially when his parents were there. But, naturally, that didn't stop their controlling mother, Heather.

"Shaun, something wrong?" she asked.

Shaun was in the middle of taking a sip from his beer bottle and lifted his hand until he finished.

"Nah, I'm fine," Shaun lied.

"You sure," Larry chimed in, "it seems like something's upset you."

"No, Larry. Thanks for your concern though," Shaun said with attitude.

Zach wanted him to knock it off, but couldn't tell him to. He didn't want Shaun to be upset at him even more, and he didn't want to come off as the nagging, controlling boyfriend. On top of that, what was with Shaun's attitude towards Larry? There's always been something that upset him about his step-dad, but Shaun has yet to share that.

Thankfully, the waitress came back to drop off a plate of salad in front of Shaun, a bowl of soup in front of Gabe and Larry, and a basket of crackers.

"You want some crackers, Cody?" Shaun asked, pulling the basket towards him.

"Yeah," Cody said, taking the crackers from his hand.

"So, uh, Shaun, how's your new book coming?" Larry asked.

"It's coming," Shaun said coldly.

"Shaun," Zach said softly, getting irritated.

"What?" Shaun yelled.

"Shaun!" Heather yelled. Heads in the restaurant turned towards their table. "What is wrong with you?"

Shaun sighed and tried to calm down. Cody was looking frightened next to him.

"I'm sorry, Cody," Shaun said, running his hand through the boy's hair. "Excuse me for a moment," he said, getting up from his seat and walking outside.

He stepped out into the sunlight and walked a bit down the street so he was out of sight from his parents. He sat down on the bench on the side of the street.

The situation was Zach was still at the front of his mind, but then the situation with Larry has always been resting in the back of his mind. Larry and his mother have been married for a while, but Shaun hasn't yet learned to support it. Shaun was much older than Gabe when their parents split and Gabe was still quite young when their mother married Larry. Gabe has never had a problem with Larry and since they don't see their father as much as they used to, Larry has sort of filled those shoes for him.

Shaun sat back, trying to relax and distress himself. He looked back towards the restaurant. Zach had just come out to the street and looked up and down it until spotting his boyfriend on the bench. He quickly sprinted over to him with his cell phone open in his hand. He had a look of shock on his face.

"Shaun," he said as he ran up. "My dad's in the hospital. He had a heart attack."

* * *

Author's Note:

So I made a huge boo-boo in the storyline. In chapter two, I explained what happened after Zach and Shaun broke up in the movie where Gabe finds Shaun and he spills everything. In chapter seven, I did the same thing but with a different story. I guess that's what happens when you don't write for 6 months. Major fail on my part. I don't plan to go back in change it. Sorry for the confussion.


	9. Chapter 9

**Haven**

_KyleGranger_

Chapter 9

It was like straight out of a movie: the son sitting outside of the hospital room, the camera slowly moving towards him in a blue-lit abandoned hallway, and his face buried in his hands. So many things were racing through his mind. What if he lost him? The only family he would have left was Cody since Jeanne selfishly walked out of the picture. He thought of his mother.

When his mother died, Zach felt alone although his dad, Jeanne, and Cody were there. His relationship with his mother was much stronger than the relationship he shared with his father. Then he thought of how his dad felt when his mother died. He guessed it was similar to how he was feeling now.

Right after telling Shaun about his father, Zach took Shaun's car and raced to the hospital. Cody stayed with Shaun, which he thought was the best idea.

"You okay?" said a familiar voice. Zach looked up at the person who was putting their hand on his shoulder. She knelt down next to him and Zach started to sob.

"Tori," Zach said leaning into her for a hug, falling off of the chair.

"Shhh, it's okay," Tori said rubbing his back. "How is he?"

They pulled away from each other.

"They said he'll be okay," Zach said, wiping his nose with his wrist and moving back into the chair he fell from. "He collapsed on his porch and a neighbor saw and called 911. So they were there quickly, I guess."

"Thank goodness," she said. She ran her hand through her long blonde hair.

Zach took a tissue out of his pocket and blew his nose. Tori leaned up towards him and fixed his collar. It was sticking up with his tie very loose and top three buttons undone. He half-smiled.

"How did you know what happened?" he asked her.

"Gabe. He called me," she explained. "I'm the closest person to this hospital and probably the closest person to the family that's nearby. I was hoping to get here before you did. Someone should've been here with you."

"Kinda wish you were. I broke down when I walked into that room for the first time. It would've been nice to have someone here."

"Where's Shaun?"

"Probably still at the restaurant. We were have lunch with his parents and Gabe. He's got Cody." Zach rubbed his eyes. They were turning red.

Tori stood up and rubbed her thighs. She glanced around and spotted another empty chair outside the next room. She went to retrieve it and placed it right beside Zach's. He smiled at her. What's great about Tori is that he could tell her just about anything. She knew everything. There were parts of his life that he couldn't share with Gabe, such as the romantic aspect whether with Shaun or anybody else. It was a guy thing he supposed.

"I miss you around here, you know," Tori admitted. It made Zach feel good. He liked being needed, missed, or wanted, but, then again, who doesn't?

"You can always call me. Or you can visit. Whenever you want. It's just the three of us up there. I don't really know anyone and I don't start school for another month," Zach said.

She took his hand. Her hand was as cold as ice. She smiled at him. "I always knew you were meant to do something more, Zach. More than anything you could do in San Pedro. More than street art. I'm glad you were able to get out."

"You can too. Do you think you're not going to get out of San Pedro too?" he asked.

She shrugged and looked down at their hands that were still together. "We'll see," she said simply.

"The same will happen with you, Tor. You'll find someone who will make you happy, just like I did. Hopefully he won't be 7 years older than you, like Shaun," Zach laughed slightly. Tori laughed slightly too.

"That doesn't matter to me," she said softly, smiling. "Just want someone that can make me happy. Kinda like you did at one point." They glanced at each other for a second.

"Yeah," Zach sighed moving his eyes back down to their hands.

He felt comfortable. She helped take his mind off of his father who was lying in bed inside the room. Them sitting together and holding hands brought him back to the time when their relationship was solid. Believe it or not, there was a time when Zach and Tori were happy. She actually helped him move on after his mother died. They were inseparable towards the end of their high school careers. But taking care of Cody became too much of a responsibility for Jeanne and their father alone, so Zach felt obligated to step in and help more, causing strain to his relationship with Tori.

The summer after they graduated, Zach was constantly working or taking care of Cody. Tori eventually ended their relationship. They both still really cared for each other and when they found time to see one another, they'd get back together. Of course, they'd realize why they broke up in the first place and end their relationship all over again. Zach couldn't even keep track of the amount of times they did. Sadly, they were known for their on again off again relationship.

"Can I ask you something?" Zach asked after a moment of silence. Tori nodded. "How did you know about me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like me and Shaun," he said subtly.

"Oh," she said. She took a couple seconds to gather her thoughts. "I went to Gabe's party that one night. I was rather late. Tim, Dan, Becki, and a couple other of girls were the only ones left. I asked them if you were there and they couldn't give me a straight answer. So I tried to find Gabe and he was on his way downstairs when I found them. He looked kind of shocked. He said he was just talking to Shaun and that you and him had a fight. So I asked what you and Shaun could possibly have a fight about. So he kind of just told me..."

"He just told you?" Zach asked with a confused look on his face.

"Well he actually tried to talk his way out of talking to me so he could go back outside, but I wouldn't let him. He was a little drunk too mind you. So he was like 'Zach and Shaun were together' which totally confused me, so I asked him what he meant and he said that Shaun had just told him that he was in love with you. And then he just walked away from me to go back to his friends."

Zach sat back in his chair. Things made sense now. He was glad that Gabe told her because Zach thought it was going to be impossible to admit it to her. In a way, Gabe had done him a favor by blabbing.

"Please don't be mad at him for tell me," she added.

"I'm not mad," He said. "To be honest, I'm glad her told you. It would've been too hard for me to tell you."

"But you would've told me, right?" she asked.

"Of course. You're my best friend, Tor," he said. She smiled and squeezed his hand. "Don't tell Gabe."

She laughed.

"Thanks for coming," he said to her. She smiled.

"I'll always be here for you," she said before leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. As she pulled away, they looked at each other.

Zach couldn't explain what he was feeling at that moment, but the thought of leaning forward was too compelling. So he did. Tori did the same. It was like a spell was cast over the two of them. They're lips met and they both felt the same feeling as if they flashed back to when they were together.

They were entranced, but Tori quickly pulled away. She covered her mouth with her hand.

"I'm sorry," she said. "We shouldn't have done that." She then starred over Zach shoulder. Her face morphed from shocked to horrified. Zach turned to see.

Shaun was standing just feet away from them.


	10. Chapter 10

**Haven**

_KyleGranger_

Chapter 10

His lip was quivering. Shaun just saw his boyfriend kiss his ex-girlfriend. And this was no love-ya-like-a-sister or thanks-for-being-there kiss, it was real kiss; one he was sure they've shared before.

Zach stood up from the chair beside Tori. His face was pale white.

"Shaun-," Zach began stepping towards him. Shaun put his hand out low in protest. His quivering lip turned into an attempt to form words. Nothing came out. Instead, he slowly began to turn and walked away down the hallway.

"Shaun, please," Tori cried, but Shaun didn't acknowledge either one of them. She turned to Zach: "I'm sorry. We shouldn't've done that."

Zach looked at her and focused on the one walking away, a look of a broken heart on his face. That was probably the stupidest thing he could've done. Shaun just walked out the door. He didn't know whether he should've chased after him or not. He decided to remain still, not because Tori was there and she was the one he wanted, but because if he were to run out there it would've turned into a huge ugly argument that he didn't want Cody, Gabe, and Shaun's parents to witness. Zach also needed time to replay the incident in his head. Why the hell would he kiss her?

Shaun stepped out into the sunlight. He pulled his shirt out of his pants. He felt compacted with it tucked in. He took in several deep breaths. He looked over at his black car a short ways away. The figure that was Gabe was looking at him; Cody was sitting in the backseat. He didn't want to make Gabe think something was wrong so he choked back his emotions and began his lonesome walk back to the car.

Gabe's face showed concern.

As he got into the car, Gabe began to lie in with the questions.

"What happened? What's wrong? You okay?"

Shaun glanced into the back seat. Cody was sleeping. His chin was against his chest.

"I need to get out of here," Shaun said quickly and quietly.

Gabe glanced back at Cody before going on. "Shaun, what the fuck happened? Is his dad okay?"

Water was now drowning Shaun's eyes. "I don't know. I didn't actually talk to anyone."

"Well then what the hell happened?"

It took a moment for him to gather his words. "I was heading to their room and I saw Zach and Tori kissing."

"What?" Gabe screamed, waking Cody up.

"Gabe! Shh!" Shaun looked back at Cody who was now wide-awake.

"What's going on?" Cody asked innocently.

"I'm going in there," Gabe said ignoring Cody's question.

"Gabe, no, don't," Shaun tried to get him to stay, but Gabe jumped out of the car and sprinted towards the entrance to the hospital. "Shit," Shaun said under his breath. If Cody hadn't been there, he would've ran after his brother, but because he was, he couldn't leave him alone. "Shit, shit, shit."

In a split-second decision, Shaun decided to go after him. He hopped out of the car and got Cody out of the backseat. "Where are we going?" he cried being lifted out of his car seat.

Zach was pacing up and down the hallway outside of his father's hospital room. Tori remained in her chair.

"Zach, I'm sorry," she apologized for the thousandth time. Zach ignored her like he had been.

_I can't believe I did that_, he thought. He tried to picture in his mind how the aftermath of this situation would play out. Shaun would go home with Cody, while Zach remained at the hospital and stay with Tori if it was absolutely necessary. He didn't think he could confront Shaun right now. He felt it would be better to wait for Shaun to make the first move.

Tori looked up at Zach. No one could express the look of concern on his face. He stopped pacing for a moment to glance through the little window on the door to his father's room. He looked so peaceful.

"You doing okay?" said the doctor, startling Zach.

"Yeah," he said breathily.

"Oh. Well, you don't look well. You look awfully pale. You should probably head home and get some sleep. We'll give you a call when he wakes up," he said generously.

"Thank you Doctor Lewis. I'll consider it," he said simply as the doctor began to walk away.

As the doctor shifted his head out of Zach's view, Zach could see Gabe walking towards him. Zach felt calm. He just had the worst possible thing happen to him and he didn't trust himself to find comfort in Tori. At least his best friend was here now so he can have someone who cares about both him and Shaun to talk to. But as Gabe drew closer, Zach could tell that his face wasn't full of concern. It looked angry. He was even rushed towards him.

"Gabe!" Tori called as he approached, but her voice showed concern. Perhaps she had realized something that Zach hadn't.

"Gabe!" called a voice from down the hall. Zach saw Shaun briskly walking towards them with Cody in his arm. His stomach turned...

At that point, Gabe had reached Zach outside his father's hospital room. Gabe lunged towards Zach and shoved him against the wall. As the back of his head slammed against the wall, Zach gasped for air.

"Gabe!" Shaun and Tori yelled and Tori then rose to her feet. It got the attention of Doctor Lewis who was a few feet away talking to a couple of nurses.

"What the fuck is your problem dude?" Gabe screamed pulling Zach towards him, then pushing him back against the wall again. Shaun quickly set Cody down in a chair. They were still a ways away from the situation, but the expression on Cody's face was that as if he were in the middle of it. Shaun sprinted over and grabbed Gabe. He seemed to have the same thought process as the doctor who reached Gabe at the same time. The two of them pulled Gabe away from Zach with Shaun pushing Zach against the wall to help separate them.

Zach squatted down to the floor. He was still gapping for air. The doctor dropped down by Zach to make sure he was okay.

Shaun, meanwhile, brought Gabe to the opposite wall. "What the hell are you doing, Gabe?" Shaun said softly, but forcefully.

"Why are you getting pissed off at me, Shaun? I'm just trying to defend you," Gabe explained. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

"I don't need you to defend me. I can handle my boyfriend myself. I just need you there to talk to, not choke him to death. Jesus, he's your best friend," Shaun said.

"Fine," Gabe said, pushing Shaun's hands away from him. "You're on your own!" With that, Gabe began walking away down the hallway, ignoring Cody as he walked by.

"Gabe," Shaun called. Gabe kept walking but responded with a certain finger. Shaun shook his head and turned away from him. He looked down at Zach. The doctor rose from beside him and went to Shaun.

"He's fine. The push into the wall caused him to lose his breath," he explained. Shaun nodded, moving his eyes down to Zach who was sitting against the wall. "Please make sure that one leaves." He pointed down the hallway to the vanishing figure that was Gabe.

"Don't worry... he's gone," Shaun said disappointed. The doctor nodded, glanced back at Zach, and then returned to work. Tori crouched down next to Zach and put her hand on his shoulder. This sight made Shaun remember how they got to this second. The situation replayed in his head.

"Shaun," Cody called from a few feet away, his voice full of worry. Shaun turned to start walking towards his boyfriend's nephew, but stopped when Zach attempted to speak.

"Shaun, wait," Zach coughed. "Please. I'm sorry."

Zach looked up to him and Shaun looked into his eyes. They were full of sorrow and regret and it was killing him inside. The glistening tears that were forming gave it away. Shaun then looked to Tori who was still down beside him.

"I think you need time to think, Zach," he said. Shaun continued down the hallway, picking up Cody on his way. He glanced back at Zach one last time, then continued walking out of sight.


	11. Chapter 11

**Haven**

_KyleGranger_

Chapter 11

Cody was asleep in his carseat on the way back. He didn't say much after the incident.

When they got home, Shaun carried him into Cody's bedroom and tucked him into his bed. Shaun knelt down next to him and slipped his shoes off, setting them next to his bed. He stood by Cody for a minute, brushing his hair out of his face. He leaned down and kissed his forehead before walking out, leaving the door cracked open a little behind him.

He glanced out the window and saw the setting sun, then glanced at the clock. It was just a little past five.

So many things were running through his mind. Leaving Zach at the hospital, leaving him with Tori there, Gabe just leaving and having no idea where he was, and what he should make for dinner. The latter seemed to be the most important as his stomach growled. He decided on macaroni and cheese for him and Cody.

He glanced at his phone: no messages or calls. Now that dinner was planned, his thoughts moved back to Zach. It crushed Shaun to see his boyfriend do that, but it crushed him more to walk away leaving him with the one he kissed.

After Shaun woke Cody up for dinner, the questions that he held in poured out.

"Where's Zach?" "Why was Gabe mad?" "Why did he push Zach?" "Why were you crying?" "When's Zach coming home?" "What happened to Papi?"

Shaun struggled, but answered one to the best of his fatherly ability: "He's still at the hospital." "He was just having a bad day." "He shouldn't have, but he did because he was angry. It's never right to push." "I was just worried." "I'm not sure, he's still at the hospital." "He isn't feeling well. He hurt his heart."

Before Cody could ask any counter-questions, Shaun added, "don't worry. Everything will be fine, okay?"

"Okay," Cody said quietly, continuing to pick at his macaroni and cheese.

Shaun watched Cody pick at his food. A feeling went through him that he hadn't felt before. He had a flashback to the same situation where Shaun's dad would eat with him alone before Gabe was born. His mom was always "out with the girls" leaving his father to make the only thing he really could for Shaun. He enjoyed those times with his dad. Afterward, they usually watch TV together.

Shaun came out of his daze to find Cody blankly starring back at him. Shaun was startled by him.

"You blinked. I win," Cody laughed, before turning back to his food. Shaun smiled at him and chuckled. Shaun watched him a little more while going in and out of his own flashback.

"I love you, Cody," Shaun said seriously.

"I love you too," Cody replied smiling and still chewing his food. Shaun laughed.

After dinner, Shaun and Cody watched some TV. Well, Shaun watched TV. Cody was sitting beside him playing with some of his toys.

There was a knock on the door and Shaun's heart skipped a beat.

What if it was Zach? This was sooner than he anticipated. He wasn't going to lie, he was happy that he came back, but he wasn't prepared for a fight or argument, especially when Cody was wide awake and playing in the living room. He decided that they would just have to sit and wait for Cody to want to go to bed.

He raised himself from the couch and walked towards the door. On the way, he tried to think of first lines to not make it _that_ awkward. But he was drawing blanks. '_I'm a fucking writer, why can't I think of anything?_' he thought.

Shaun took a deep breath as he opened the door. Gabe stood there.

"Gabe," Shaun said. Gabe's hair was everywhere and he was still wearing the same clothes he was at lunch, although now they were completely disheveled. "What happened?"

"I've been walking around since I left the hospital," he said quietly. After seeing the state he was in, Shaun expected him to be drunk. It was the classic drunk look, but he wasn't. "I just wanted to talk, and apologize, and maybe see if I could eat something."

Shaun smiled and opened the door completely allowing Gabe to enter.

"Hey Codester," Gabe called to Cody as he walked past the kitchen, entering the living room.

"Hi," he said plainly before turning back to his toys.

Gabe turned back to face his brother who was coming up from behind.

"I have mac and cheese," he offered. Gabe accepted.

After warming up some of their leftovers, Shaun sat down next to Gabe at the table while he ate.

"You've been walking around since you left the hospital?" he said. Gabe nodded. "You walked here all the way from San Pedro?"

"No, no," he said with his mouth full of food. He finally swallowed, took a breath, and continued, "I walked from the hospital back to Long Beach. I wanted to walk all the way up here, but I got tired by the time I was in Long Beach so I got a cab."

Shaun chuckled. "Lazy ass."

"Listen, I'm sorry about what happened," Gabe said, making a 180 in the conversation. "I shouldn't've went off like that. Especially in front of Cody."

"Especially," Shaun repeated.

"Thanks, bro. I know."

"Especially," Cody chimed in comically.

"Hey you little eavesdropper!" Gabe laughed.

"Hey you little evildropper," Cody struggled to mimic. He gave up and continued playing with his toys.

"It just fucking pissed me off that Zach did that-" Gabe began, but was cut off by Shaun.

"I know that, Gabe. Obviously, I was upset too, but sometimes you have to know when to walk away. Let it simmer, you know? I wanted to punch Zach too, but I love him and I just couldn't do that. I'm just saying I wanted to to show how upset I was," Shaun explained.

"I know. Something just went off. I wasn't thinking rationally," Gabe said.

"That's an understatement," Shaun said. "Now you need to apologize."

Gabe nodded, picking at his food like Cody was doing earlier. "What are you going to do?"

Shaun took a second to gather his thoughts. "I don't know. Wait for him to make the first move? I've been putting it off. Thinking about it, I mean."

"If you do forgive him, then I'll forgive him. And if you do forgive him, and I'm pretty sure you will, I know you guys will be fine. You'll make it," he admitted. "This is just a bump in your long not-straight road."

"Hey," Shaun said punching his brother playfully in the arm. He turned serious, "I'm glad I have a brother like you."

Gabe rolled his eyes.

Shaun went into his room later that night for bed. He tucked Cody in and kissed him goodnight and made sure Gabe was comfortable. He asked to stay the night and Shaun planned on taking him home in the morning. After dropping his phone on his bedside table, he pulled his shirt off followed by his pants and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Once he was finished, he walked over to his side of the bed and lied down, pulling the covers halfway up his bare chest. He picked up his phone again and stared at it. This was the only way Zach could communicate with him and since the hospital it remained silent. No messages and no calls.

He rolled his head to the side to look at the empty side of the bed where his boyfriend usually was snuggled up against him, then looked back at his phone.

Shaun debated over and over in his mind whether he should call him or not, but he had made up his mind. He wanted Zach to make the first move. It just seemed logical since they wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for Zach's mistake.

Although he made the conclusion that he wouldn't call or text, it didn't stop him from debating in his mind. The television couldn't even distract him from the ongoing debate.

In the end, he decided he would text him. Nothing long, but something that would show he was willing to talk. He felt childish doing it, but he really missed his boyfriend. Shaun was growing tired so he typed up the simple text, sent it, and put his phone on Zach's pillow. The lonely man fell asleep facing the empty side of the bed with his arm extended to where his love usually lay. He finally drifted to sleep.

The text message simply said 'Goodnight.'


	12. Chapter 12

**Haven**

_KyleGranger_

Chapter 12

The room was dark and quiet. The only light came through the blinds from the streetlights out in the parking lot. The room felt cool to Zach as he sat pathetically in an armchair in the corner of the room. He squeezed his phone that was sitting on the armrest. He did this every other minute and each time it simply revealed the time. This squeeze showed 1:24 am.

When he wasn't squeezing his phone in desperation, he was starring at his father lying in bed. He was looking at him, but that wasn't the thing that was on his mind. Eight hours or so before this very moment, Shaun had deserted him in the hallway. It may seem like something heartless to do, especially when his brother caused you to lose your breath, but when the one who loves you most in the world catches you kissing an ex, you deserve to be deserted. This is how Zach felt at least.

Tori, the ex, stayed with Zach until around ten. They didn't do much talking. Zach wasn't up for it and, to be honest, he didn't really want her there. Yes, she was making sure he was okay, but it felt wrong to him to be there alone with the one he shouldn't have kissed so late.

He hadn't heard from Shaun yet. Who knows if he'll even try to make the first move. The last thing he said to him was "I think you need time to think." Zach didn't need time to think. He knew who he wanted: Shaun. Kissing Tori was the biggest mistake he has ever made. After hours of pondering why he did it in the first place, Zach still hasn't reached a conclusion. It must've been in the moment.

The phone on the armrest vibrated, frightening Zach. He glanced down at the phone; he received a text message. He flipped his phone open. It read: 'Goodnight. –Shaun.'

Zach didn't know what to think now. Shaun shouldn't have texted. As simple as his text was, it only confused Zach more. Does Shaun texting Zach mean that he is willing to talk to him? Or does the shortness and simplicity of 'goodnight' a bad sign? There was no 'I love you' attached to that. Not that he deserved it.

He closed his phone and let it drop onto his chest. He sighed and looked back at his father. He wanted to sleep and look as peaceful as his father did, but his ongoing thoughts kept him from doing so.

The chair that Tori had sat in for the longest time still sat next to his. It was a smaller chair so Zach decided to bring it over to his father's bedside and rest his head on the mattress. He hoped it would cause him to fall asleep.

As he pressed his head against the sheet of the beds, he looked up at his dad. Flashbacks of the last time he saw him replayed in his head. The thoughts brought Zach down even more. He felt disappointed in himself. He let his father down, he let Gabe down, and most importantly he failed Shaun. Zach moved his hand onto the bed and rested it on top of his dad's. It felt oddly warm, which comforted him. He closed his eyes.

"Dad, I'm sorry about the way we left things. The way I left things. I'm also sorry I even told you. You probably wouldn't even be here if I hadn't said anything. I just wanted you to know because you are the only person that is still here with me. Mom's gone. Now Jeanne is gone. I needed my family.

"I want to be with Shaun. I love him and he loves me. I knew you wouldn't accept it, but I felt like you had a right to know. You're grandson was now in mine and Shaun's care. I wouldn't even be able to take care of him alone. You should see them together," Zach smiled. "Shaun is such a great father figure for Cody. I feel like he does a better job than I do. Shaun wants to teach him to surf when he gets a little older. That's when I knew that he wouldn't desert me like Jeanne did. Can't believe her. Left her own son."

Zach paused for a moment. For some reason, the thought of his sister made him burn up inside. His face turned a little pink. He sighed and exhaled deeply. He let himself calm down for a minute before he continued. It felt good for him to be able to say everything he wanted to say to someone, whether they were listening or not.

"Kissed Tori today. Sure you would've been proud," Zach said in a voice that was almost sarcastic. He sniffled and squeezed his father's hand. His voice began to quiver and he slowly continued. "Biggest mistake. Shaun saw it. It broke his heart." Zach had tears falling horizontally down the side of his face, and soaking into the bed's sheets. "I broke his heart."

The tears rolled down the side of his face. He rolled his head so his face was buried into the sheets.

The hand that lie under Zach's slid out of his grasp and then rested on top of Zach's. Zach shuttered and jumped, sitting up. He starred at his father, whose eyes were still shut, but his head seemed to slowly be moving and Zach was positive that he could hear him moaning slightly.

"Dad?" Zach said. His father moaned again. This time he could definitely hear it. Zach moved both of his hands and took hold of his dad's hand, and scooted the chair closer towards where he sat in bed. "Dad?" he repeated.

Zach waited anxiously for something to come from his dad. His dad exhaled deeply through his nose.

"He'll forgive you," he managed to mutter. Zach laughed with tears in his eyes. "If he... really loves you... he'll forgive..." his dad said slowly, taking a break here and there.

"Thanks dad," Zach said, wiping the tears from his eyes.

After that, his father stayed silent to rest. Zach stayed by his side, eventually falling asleep, stilling holding his hand.


	13. Chapter 13

**Haven**

_KyleGranger_

Chapter 13

Shaun gave in.

He just dropped Gabe off at home and was on his way to the hospital with Cody in tow.

Shaun couldn't sit around and wait for Zach to make the first movie. Yes, he still believed that Zach should be the one to come to him first, but Shaun grew too impatient.

It was nearly noon and the highways were surprisingly open. They were making great time. In fact, Cody was able to stay awake the entire car ride there. Shaun figured it was mostly because he was excited to see Zach.

He wasn't even positive that Zach was still at the hospital, but he'd rather go there to find that he wasn't there than call him. There wasn't really anywhere else he could go, unless Tori took him somewhere. Shaun gulped.

The thought of Tori made his blood boil and ponder what he would do if she were still there with him. Shaun shook his head trying to block out the thoughts.

As they pulled into the hospital's parking lot, Shaun heart began to race. It seemed the closer he got to Zach's dad's hospital room, the more nervous he became. He glanced at himself in the rearview mirror for a second and took a deep breath before getting out of the car.

The walk to the hospital room seemed to be longer than it actually was. Each step seemed like it took minutes to take.

Cody led the way to the hospital room. He seemed either eager to get there to see Zach or extremely proud that he knew the way to the room. Both scenarios seemed typical of Cody.

But far behind the eager faced boy was a man who seemed to be having second thoughts. Shaun knew it was too late to turn back. If he was alone he could, but Cody was set on seeing his uncle and Shaun wouldn't let himself consider turning back. Especially not after the night he had with Cody. It meant so much to Shaun that Cody told him that he loved him.

The boy reached the door to his grandfather's hospital room and glanced back Shaun who was still a ways down the hall. He faked a smile and gestured for him to go ahead into the room.

Cody pushed the door open to find Zach asleep in a chair beside the bed with his head resting on the mattress. In bed was his grandfather who was awake and just noticed him entering the room.

"Hey Cody," he said softly, but with excitement. As he did, he squeezed Zach's arm to get him to wake up. Zach moaned and then shook as if startled. He looked up at his dad with concern; he thought something was wrong. After noticing that his father was fine, he followed his eyes to the door where the boy stood silently with a big grin across his face.

"Cody!" Zach said excitedly. But the excitement escaped his face quickly. It was most likely the fact that he had just woke up and hadn't really processed it, but Cody was with Shaun last so he questioned if that meant Shaun was also there. Obviously someone had to be with him, but he didn't think Shaun would want to see him.

Cody ran over to Zach and gave him a hug and Zach lifted him up onto his father's bed. Cody hugged his grandpa.

Zach looked at his dad who looked right back at him.

"Cody, who brought you?" Zach asked.

"Shaun," he said simply. Zach was about to ask another question, but Cody answered it just as he was about to ask. "He's still out there." He pointed out the door. Zach smiled at him then looked at his dad with concern. His dad half-smiled then gestured towards the door. Zach stood up and took a deep breath before heading out there.

Shaun was still down the hallway. He was leaning against the wall waiting. He couldn't enter the room. He tried, but couldn't bring himself to do it. When he saw Zach come out the room, his heart sunk.

Zach seemed cautious as he walked towards Shaun, but he couldn't deny that he was happy to see him. Shaun felt the same way, but neither of them wore that expression on their face.

"Hi," Zach said reaching Shaun.

"Hi," he replied. Shaun drove there and made the first move in a way. He felt it was Zach's job to make the next one.

Zach stuffed his hands in his pocket. "You wanna walk?" Shaun nodded and turned to start walking.

The two of them stayed silent as they walked down the busy hallways. Zach had a difficult time figuring out what to say. Had he known they were coming, he would've had something prepared. Shaun just stayed silent waiting for his boyfriend, or whatever they would be after this, to say something first.

"Shaun, I'm sorry," Zach said finally. As simple and typical as it was, it made him feel so much more relaxed. "I'm really, really sorry. It was a mistake, I swear. It was completely in the moment and it will never happen again."

Shaun remained silent still as they pushed the doors open to the outside. He looked up at the now heavily clouded sky. Zach was waiting for him to say something, but nothing ever came so Zach felt Shaun wanted more.

"I don't know how to make it up to you, but I will. Whatever you want, I will do it," Zach sounded desperate now. Yet, Shaun remained silent as they walked the sidewalk outside of the hospital. "Can you please say something? I feel like I've lost you. You're not giving me anything back. Yell at me. Please! Something."

Shaun pulled over to a vacant bench near the parking lot and sat down. Zach sat on the opposite end of the bench. A good portion of empty bench space separated them. Zach now stayed silent until Shaun said something. He understood that he was the one that screwed up, but there was no way he was going to continue if it was pointless.

"It devastated me," Shaun said looking directly into Zach's eyes. It made Zach uncomfortable and he moved his eyes to his hands instead.

"I'm sorry," Zach said softly once more.

"I know, Zach, and I understand that you're sorry. I should be mad at you, I want to be mad at you, but for some reason I can't seem to stay angry. That doesn't mean I forgive you yet," Shaun said before Zach cut him off.

"What do I have to do for you to forgive me?"

"I don't know, Zach. I don't want you to have any reservations about our relationship."

"I don-"

"That's not what it looked like yesterday," Shaun snapped.

"I told you. It didn't mean anything, Shaun. I was weak. I don't know," Zach paused for a moment. "Like I said, it was in the moment."

"Well, I don't want you having anymore moments!" Shaun yelled and then stood up. "I want you all to myself!"

He paced for a moment to cool down. Zach remained seated on the bench with his eyes still fixated on his hands. When he finally felt relaxed again, Shaun planted himself back on the bench and continued.

"I want us to be a family, Zach. You, Cody, and I are all I think about. It's how I want to spend the rest of my life," he said.

"I want the same, Shaun. I promise you. I love you and I don't know how I will make this up to you, but I never want to leave you. I swear," Zach cried.

"You promise you love me?" Shaun asked. Zach looked up at him to see if he was kidding, but his face was as serious as ever.

"Shaun, I promise," he said.

Shaun reached over and took one of Zach's warm hands. "I love you too."

Zach quickly glanced around to see if there was anyone near them then moved towards Shaun and pulled him into a hug.

"I will never leave you," he whispered into Shaun's ear.

When they pulled apart, Zach looked over Shaun's shoulder at the person who was approaching them. His face then showed concern. Shaun noticed and turned around to see what he was looking at.

It was Tori and she stopped where she was for a second, then continued towards them. Each step seemed hesitant.

Shaun's face turned red.

"Hi," she said as she stopped in front of them. When neither of them replied, she awkwardly began. "I didn't expect the both of you to be here, but I'm glad you are. Shaun, I'm sorry. It was completely my fault. Don't be mad at Zach. It was all me."

"I really don't want to hear it," Shaun said. He stood up and began to head back inside the hospital.

"Shaun," Zach said.

"Shaun, wait. There's something else I really need to say. Please," Tori said.

He turned around and walked back towards them with his arms crossed.

Tori's face turned bright red and her eyes began to flood with tears.

"I, uh, I'm really sorry," she began. The tears began to stream down her face. "I, uh-."

"Tori, what?" Shaun yelled impatiently.

"I'm pregnant!"

* * *

Thanks for all the positive reviews! I enjoy your feedback. It makes me put more effort into the story (and makes my head big). :)


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